Essex Police have launched an urgent appeal to locate two men in connection with violent disorder that erupted outside a controversial asylum seeker hotel in Epping, as the Home Office faces mounting pressure to close the facility following repeated clashes.
Officers are searching for Martin Peagram, 33, who has links to Stansted, and Philip Curson, 52, who has no last known address, following violence outside the Bell Hotel on 17 July that left eight police officers injured.
The manhunt comes as a 37-year-old man from Epping remains in custody on suspicion of violent disorder, whilst police confirm they are no longer seeking Shaun Thompson, 37, in connection with the incidents.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow condemned what he described as “mindless thuggery” after protests descended into chaos. Disappointingly we have seen yet another protest, which began peacefully, escalate into mindless thuggery with individuals again hurting one of our officers and damaging a police vehicle,” he said.
The demonstrations were triggered after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexual assault following an alleged incident involving a 14-year-old girl just eight days after arriving in the UK by boat on 29 June. Kebatu, who denies attempting to kiss the teenager, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last Thursday and is due to stand trial on 26 August.
Escalating Violence and Multiple Arrests
Essex Police have made 16 arrests in total following the disorder, with six people charged with various offences including violent disorder, failing to remove face coverings when directed, and theft of police equipment. Our warnings have been ignored for too long,” said Councillor Chris Whitbread, Leader of Epping Forest District Council, who has consistently opposed the use of the Bell Hotel for housing asylum seekers.
The violence reached a peak when protesters threw eggs, fireworks, bottles and smoke flares at police vehicles blocking the hotel entrance. More than 100 demonstrators gathered on Sunday evening, chanting “Save our kids” and “Send them home” whilst brandishing signs reading “deport foreign criminals” and “defend our girls.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper warned that more arrests are imminent. “We’ve been analysing footage and we have investigators and trained detectives working on this operation. We are identifying suspects, and there will be more arrests in the coming days,” he stated.
Four men have already been charged with violent disorder: Jonathan Glover, 47, of Waltham Abbey; Stuart Williams, 36, of Thornwood; Keith Silk, 33, of Loughton; and Dean Smith, 51, of Epping. They are due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 18 August. Joe McKenna, 34, of Wickford, faces charges of failing to remove a face covering when ordered.
Council Demands Immediate Closure
The local authority has intensified its campaign to shut down the asylum facility, with Whitbread describing the Home Office’s decision to house vulnerable individuals in the town centre as “both reckless and unacceptable. Placing vulnerable individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds into an unsupervised setting, in the centre of a small town, without the proper infrastructure, support or services, is both reckless and unacceptable,” he said.
A petition organised by the council calling for the closure of both the Bell Hotel and the Phoenix Hotel in Bobbingworth has gathered more than 4,500 signatures. The council claims there have been “multiple serious incidents” linked to residents at both hotels in recent weeks.
Local MPs have joined the campaign, with a joint statement declaring: “Together as neighbouring Constituency MPs, along with Epping Forest District Council, we are calling on the Government to immediately close the Bell and Phoenix Hotels and make alternative arrangements accordingly.
Wider Immigration Context
The incidents in Epping come against a backdrop of record asylum applications in the UK. According to the latest Home Office statistics, 84,200 applications for asylum were made in 2024, relating to 108,100 individuals – the highest annual number ever recorded.
Migration Minister Chris Philp addressed Parliament on Monday, stating that the public are “rightly sick of this illegal immigrant crime wave” and calling for it “to end. Essex Police faced criticism after initially denying, then admitting they had escorted pro-migrant counter-protesters to the hotel, leading to calls from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for the chief constable to resign.
The policing operation has already cost over £100,000, according to police sources, with Chief Superintendent Anslow making clear: “We don’t take sides, we arrest criminals and we have a duty to ensure no-one is hurt — plain and simple.
Dispersal Order in Effect
As Epping braces for further protests, Essex Police have issued a dispersal order covering the town centre and transport hubs from 2pm Thursday until 8am Friday. The order grants officers powers to direct anyone suspected of committing anti-social behaviour to leave the area or face arrest.
“Where there has been previous protest activity, we have seen sustained anti-social behaviour in addition to any disorder that we have dealt with during the protest itself,” Chief Superintendent Anslow explained. This order will not prevent lawful and peaceful protest, but ensure people are safe both during and after the planned activity.
The Home Office has confirmed that asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel have not been relocated, despite protests also occurring at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf over false reports of transfers.
Police Federation head Tiff Lynch warned that the Essex disorder represents a “signal flare” for potential wider unrest this summer, noting that officers may need to be diverted from neighbourhood duties to maintain peace at migrant-related protests.
The Bell Hotel, a three-star establishment in Epping High Road, has become the flashpoint for community tensions that council leaders warn are being “exacerbated by the historical presence of far-right groups in the area. Hope Not Hate has identified members of the neo-Nazi group Homeland as administrators of social media pages organising the demonstrations.
As the manhunt for Peagram and Curson continues, Essex Police urge anyone with information about their whereabouts to contact them immediately. The force remains on high alert as the small Essex town finds itself at the centre of Britain’s heated asylum debate.
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